AN/: Weeeeeeeeeeee! I feel loved and I've only had four replies lol. I know
it must seem weird that I am churning out the chapters so fast, but I've
actually written 34 chapters of this story (but its still unfinished
eeeeek!). My chapters were quite short, so I decided to make them longer by
joining two together. Neways here it is, enjoy.
Luv Courtney
Chapter 4: Bad News.
Harry and Vienna tried desperately to enter the potions room unnoticed, but as they closed the door gently behind them, they were met with the resentful face of Snape.
'Potter,' he growled slowly, 'late for class on your first day... very disappointing... 10 points from Gryffindor.'
Clamping his mouth shut and gritting his teeth, Harry tried to ignore him.
Snape's cold eyes widened as he looked at Vienna, who was looking around the room nervously.
'Ah miss Malfoy I see you have found my class... I hope your lack of punctuality will not be a reoccurring problem though... Please take a seat...' he pointed over to the front row of seats, where Draco was watching along side Crabbe and Golye.
'Yes sir...' Vienna replied, instead following Harry up the back to where he usually sat with Ron and Hermione.
'No! Not there,' Snape snarled, seeing her sit down, 'Next to your brother up the front.'
Vienna smiled apologetically at Harry, who nodded, as she reluctantly got up and took a seat next to Draco. He gave her a frosty sideways glance as Snape began his lesson.
While the class were mixing up a potion, Snape took the opportunity to have a quiet talk to Vienna. She tried to busy herself stirring her cauldron when he approached.
'I see you have been placed in Gryffindor. Must have been a bit of a disappointment not being with your brother...' he said slyly.
'I'm surviving' she replied boldly, not looking up.
'Glad to hear it,' he said maliciously, 'I doubt your father will be pleased though... especially when he finds out who you have been associating with...' Snape's eyes travelled over to the back of the room, where Harry was working silently. 'If I were you...' he added, lowering his voice to a hiss, 'I would take great care in making sure I was mixing with the right people... and I'm sure your brother would be ever so willing to help you out.' He shot Draco a sneaky glance, who looked thoughtfully at Vienna.
'Yeah, I'm sure he would Proffessor,' she was getting positively furious with him.
Luckily the bell sounded and the class began to pack up. Grabbing her shoulder bag, Vienna walked out the door, where Draco was waiting for her.
'Jeeze... what a creep...' she muttered loudly.
'No, he's not that bad,' he replied, 'I think Snape just wanted you in Slytherin...'
'Yeah... whatever... thank god its over... I think I'm going to go back to the common room, seeya.' Vienna went to turn away.
'Wait! Remember Dumbledore wants to see both of us, we might as well go now. Come on.'
Draco pulled Vienna down the passageway, but before she disappeared around the corner, she yelled to Harry, 'Bye! Got to speak to Dumbledore... see you at dinner!'
The pair walked in silence up the spiralling stairs and through the winding corridors, Vienna looking curiously at unknown rooms as she walked behind. Finally she broke the silence.
'Dray... not meaning to be rude... but what have you done to make everyone other than the Slytherins dislike us Malfoys?' She paused to catch up, 'because when I first got sorted people were really nasty to me, especially the Gryffindors.Z apart from Harry, Hermione and Ron...'
'Nothing... your so called friends are the ones with the problems... I hope you know that Granger's a mudblood...'
'What's that got to do with anything Draco?' Vienna replied angrily.
'It's got everything to do with things Vienna; you know how dad feels about them.
You know how I feel about them...' his voice trailed off.
'No. I don't know how you feel... could you please explain?' Vienna could feel her cheeks burning. How dare her brother speak about her friends like that?
'We're here.Z' Draco ignored the question. 'I don't know the password though.Z so we are going to have to wait for a teacher...'
'Great...' Vienna ran her hand over the stone gargoyle in annoyance.
To her surprise the wall slid open quietly, revealing the hidden staircase behind.
'Maybe he's expecting us...' Draco said as he began climbing the stairs. Vienna sighed and followed. The spiral staircase moved slowly upwards as the doors closed behind them, and they soon reached the polished oak door. Draco went to knock the brass doorknocker, but hesitated.
'You do it, he wants to see you more than me...' he whispered.
'No, I don't want to. He spoke to you anyway,' she hissed back.
The door opened by itself, as the two were still bickering over who was going to knock.
'Come in...' Dumbledore's voice sounded from inside. Vienna and Draco exchanged a nervous look before stepping inside Dumbledore's beautiful circular office.
'Sit down, make yourselves comfortable...' Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, a thoughtful yet kind expression on his face. The twins sat down awkwardly in two armchairs facing the desk.
'Now I hope you have had an enjoyable first day Vienna,' he said smiling.
'Yes sir, very enjoyable' she replied truthfully. Phewf, it's just another welcoming speech she thought to herself.
'Good to hear,' Dumbledore continued, yet his smile began to fade, and was replaced by a worried look. 'Now what I am going to tell you next may be a bit frightening, but I need both of you to listen carefully and not tell a person that you do not trust entirely.'
Vienna and Draco nodded appropriately.
'I am sorry to have to tell you, but it is in your best interest. Vienna, you are in very grave danger...'
'What?' Vienna thought it must be a welcoming joke.
'Yes, I know it may be hard to believe, but your parents have asked me to inform you about what has, and is happening.' Dumbledore took a deep breath... 'At the end of the last term of school last year, there was an incident... a student died while competing in the Triwizard tournament. Cedric Diggory was found to have been murdered by Lord Voldemort ...'
'You-Know-Who? That's impossible... he, he was gone, wasn't he?'
'I'm afraid that he is back though... through the efforts of his servants... and now he is attempting to gather his allies once more...' With those words, Dumbledore launched into a recount of the horrible events that had taken place... and Harry's brush with death.
At the mention of Harry, and the conclusion of Dumbledore's speech, Draco suddenly spoke.
'So what has this got to do with my sister, and how is she in danger?' He didn't have much time for the principle, or Harry for that matter.
'About time you said something Draco,' Dumbledore said, eyeing him with interest.
'Well I was just getting to that. I am not sure whether your sister is aware of your father's involvement in this issue... but she must know, as Lucius has asked me to tell her...'
'Tell me what?' Vienna was desperate to know what they were talking about.
'Your father, Vienna, at the height of Voldemort's rein of terror, was a great supporter. A Death Eater in fact, if you know what that is.'
Vienna had heard snippets of information about them at Durmstrang, enough to know that they weren't good news. Her father a Death Eater?
'I, I thought he was in the council for the Ministry Of Magic...'
'Yes, he was and still is, but he also aided in the growth and destruction that Voldemort caused. You of course would both have been only one year old though. And when the downfall of Voldemort came, your father was able to redeem himself and join society once more... Alas now that Voldemort is back, your father rejoined when his mark started to burn...' Dumbledore explained, a tone of disapproval in his voice.
Vienna smouldered with an unsuppressed rage, looking towards Draco with a red-hot fire burning in her eyes.
'You, you knew... and you all kept it from me... why?'
Draco shifted uneasily in his chair. 'Vee, you know mum and dad did it out of the best interest for you. I only found out when I started at Hogwarts...'
'That was four years ago... was I ever going to find out?' Vienna could hardly contain the rising tone of her voice.
'Yes. Well I don't actually know... Dad only told me because I was interested. I used to eavesdrop when he would talk about it with mother...' Draco looked uncomfortable, 'but now you know anyway...'
'So that explains your opinions on certain things... but Voldemort was so terrible... how could he?'
Vienna was disgusted at her family, especially her father.
'That answer will only come from Lucius... but now is not the time to wonder of such things, I have more to say,' Dumbledore said, looking impatient. 'Your mother and father came to me a week before the start of school, requesting that you Vienna would enrol here at Hogwarts. Lucius told me he and the other Death Eaters had been summoned the night of Lord Voldemort's rebirth. Since then Voldemort has called them at will to do his bidding. The sheer fact that your father told me all this obviously meant that there was something more important than his master at stake...' he paused, surveying the expression on Vienna's face.
She was visibly shaken, and couldn't speak. So many things were swirling around in her head it was hard to listen any more.
'This is all I know...' Dumbledore continued, 'your father told me that he was requested by Voldemort to carry out some type of task which was so terrible he refused immediately. What the task was he did not say. Lord Voldemort was particularly disappointed at your father, and consequently wants compensation... at the price of one of his children. You Vienna.'
'M-me?' Vienna spoke like she was being strangled.
'Her?' stuttered Draco, equally as shocked.
'Yes. I know it is a terrible burden to have to know about it. But it is best that you are aware of your predicament. Voldemort cannot touch you while you are here, that is why you're your parents brought you to Hogwarts. Now you will be able to look out for any suspicious behaviour. Voldemort has many spies that can reach you here, but I doubt any will attempt anything while you are under my watch. Draco I expect you to keep up a constant vigilance,' Dumbledore said, staring at Draco, who nodded.
'But, but I still don't understand... Why me?' asked Vienna, still extremely confused.
'I do not know the answer to that, but I have my suspicions,' replied the headmaster, pushing his glasses up onto his nose. 'When I am certain, you will be the first to find out. All I ask Vienna, is that you do not leave the school grounds and that for this moment, tell only the few people that you trust.'
'Of course, I promise...'
'Good. One person that may be helpful to talk to though is Harry Potter. If anyone has been close to feeling how you do now, he has,' Dumbledore said, standing up suddenly. 'Look at the time, sorry to have kept you from the start of dinner... if either of you have any further questions, I will always be here...'
'Thankyou for, for telling me...' Vienna said quietly.
'Yeah, thanks.' Draco added.
The pair left Dumbledore's office in silence, feeling like totally different people from when they had first entered. Somehow now any argument she was having or had ever had with Draco seemed insignificant. They both felt a hundred times heavier thinking about what lay ahead, but the fact that they were there together, was a comforting thought for both of them, especially Vienna...
Chapter 4: Bad News.
Harry and Vienna tried desperately to enter the potions room unnoticed, but as they closed the door gently behind them, they were met with the resentful face of Snape.
'Potter,' he growled slowly, 'late for class on your first day... very disappointing... 10 points from Gryffindor.'
Clamping his mouth shut and gritting his teeth, Harry tried to ignore him.
Snape's cold eyes widened as he looked at Vienna, who was looking around the room nervously.
'Ah miss Malfoy I see you have found my class... I hope your lack of punctuality will not be a reoccurring problem though... Please take a seat...' he pointed over to the front row of seats, where Draco was watching along side Crabbe and Golye.
'Yes sir...' Vienna replied, instead following Harry up the back to where he usually sat with Ron and Hermione.
'No! Not there,' Snape snarled, seeing her sit down, 'Next to your brother up the front.'
Vienna smiled apologetically at Harry, who nodded, as she reluctantly got up and took a seat next to Draco. He gave her a frosty sideways glance as Snape began his lesson.
While the class were mixing up a potion, Snape took the opportunity to have a quiet talk to Vienna. She tried to busy herself stirring her cauldron when he approached.
'I see you have been placed in Gryffindor. Must have been a bit of a disappointment not being with your brother...' he said slyly.
'I'm surviving' she replied boldly, not looking up.
'Glad to hear it,' he said maliciously, 'I doubt your father will be pleased though... especially when he finds out who you have been associating with...' Snape's eyes travelled over to the back of the room, where Harry was working silently. 'If I were you...' he added, lowering his voice to a hiss, 'I would take great care in making sure I was mixing with the right people... and I'm sure your brother would be ever so willing to help you out.' He shot Draco a sneaky glance, who looked thoughtfully at Vienna.
'Yeah, I'm sure he would Proffessor,' she was getting positively furious with him.
Luckily the bell sounded and the class began to pack up. Grabbing her shoulder bag, Vienna walked out the door, where Draco was waiting for her.
'Jeeze... what a creep...' she muttered loudly.
'No, he's not that bad,' he replied, 'I think Snape just wanted you in Slytherin...'
'Yeah... whatever... thank god its over... I think I'm going to go back to the common room, seeya.' Vienna went to turn away.
'Wait! Remember Dumbledore wants to see both of us, we might as well go now. Come on.'
Draco pulled Vienna down the passageway, but before she disappeared around the corner, she yelled to Harry, 'Bye! Got to speak to Dumbledore... see you at dinner!'
The pair walked in silence up the spiralling stairs and through the winding corridors, Vienna looking curiously at unknown rooms as she walked behind. Finally she broke the silence.
'Dray... not meaning to be rude... but what have you done to make everyone other than the Slytherins dislike us Malfoys?' She paused to catch up, 'because when I first got sorted people were really nasty to me, especially the Gryffindors.Z apart from Harry, Hermione and Ron...'
'Nothing... your so called friends are the ones with the problems... I hope you know that Granger's a mudblood...'
'What's that got to do with anything Draco?' Vienna replied angrily.
'It's got everything to do with things Vienna; you know how dad feels about them.
You know how I feel about them...' his voice trailed off.
'No. I don't know how you feel... could you please explain?' Vienna could feel her cheeks burning. How dare her brother speak about her friends like that?
'We're here.Z' Draco ignored the question. 'I don't know the password though.Z so we are going to have to wait for a teacher...'
'Great...' Vienna ran her hand over the stone gargoyle in annoyance.
To her surprise the wall slid open quietly, revealing the hidden staircase behind.
'Maybe he's expecting us...' Draco said as he began climbing the stairs. Vienna sighed and followed. The spiral staircase moved slowly upwards as the doors closed behind them, and they soon reached the polished oak door. Draco went to knock the brass doorknocker, but hesitated.
'You do it, he wants to see you more than me...' he whispered.
'No, I don't want to. He spoke to you anyway,' she hissed back.
The door opened by itself, as the two were still bickering over who was going to knock.
'Come in...' Dumbledore's voice sounded from inside. Vienna and Draco exchanged a nervous look before stepping inside Dumbledore's beautiful circular office.
'Sit down, make yourselves comfortable...' Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, a thoughtful yet kind expression on his face. The twins sat down awkwardly in two armchairs facing the desk.
'Now I hope you have had an enjoyable first day Vienna,' he said smiling.
'Yes sir, very enjoyable' she replied truthfully. Phewf, it's just another welcoming speech she thought to herself.
'Good to hear,' Dumbledore continued, yet his smile began to fade, and was replaced by a worried look. 'Now what I am going to tell you next may be a bit frightening, but I need both of you to listen carefully and not tell a person that you do not trust entirely.'
Vienna and Draco nodded appropriately.
'I am sorry to have to tell you, but it is in your best interest. Vienna, you are in very grave danger...'
'What?' Vienna thought it must be a welcoming joke.
'Yes, I know it may be hard to believe, but your parents have asked me to inform you about what has, and is happening.' Dumbledore took a deep breath... 'At the end of the last term of school last year, there was an incident... a student died while competing in the Triwizard tournament. Cedric Diggory was found to have been murdered by Lord Voldemort ...'
'You-Know-Who? That's impossible... he, he was gone, wasn't he?'
'I'm afraid that he is back though... through the efforts of his servants... and now he is attempting to gather his allies once more...' With those words, Dumbledore launched into a recount of the horrible events that had taken place... and Harry's brush with death.
At the mention of Harry, and the conclusion of Dumbledore's speech, Draco suddenly spoke.
'So what has this got to do with my sister, and how is she in danger?' He didn't have much time for the principle, or Harry for that matter.
'About time you said something Draco,' Dumbledore said, eyeing him with interest.
'Well I was just getting to that. I am not sure whether your sister is aware of your father's involvement in this issue... but she must know, as Lucius has asked me to tell her...'
'Tell me what?' Vienna was desperate to know what they were talking about.
'Your father, Vienna, at the height of Voldemort's rein of terror, was a great supporter. A Death Eater in fact, if you know what that is.'
Vienna had heard snippets of information about them at Durmstrang, enough to know that they weren't good news. Her father a Death Eater?
'I, I thought he was in the council for the Ministry Of Magic...'
'Yes, he was and still is, but he also aided in the growth and destruction that Voldemort caused. You of course would both have been only one year old though. And when the downfall of Voldemort came, your father was able to redeem himself and join society once more... Alas now that Voldemort is back, your father rejoined when his mark started to burn...' Dumbledore explained, a tone of disapproval in his voice.
Vienna smouldered with an unsuppressed rage, looking towards Draco with a red-hot fire burning in her eyes.
'You, you knew... and you all kept it from me... why?'
Draco shifted uneasily in his chair. 'Vee, you know mum and dad did it out of the best interest for you. I only found out when I started at Hogwarts...'
'That was four years ago... was I ever going to find out?' Vienna could hardly contain the rising tone of her voice.
'Yes. Well I don't actually know... Dad only told me because I was interested. I used to eavesdrop when he would talk about it with mother...' Draco looked uncomfortable, 'but now you know anyway...'
'So that explains your opinions on certain things... but Voldemort was so terrible... how could he?'
Vienna was disgusted at her family, especially her father.
'That answer will only come from Lucius... but now is not the time to wonder of such things, I have more to say,' Dumbledore said, looking impatient. 'Your mother and father came to me a week before the start of school, requesting that you Vienna would enrol here at Hogwarts. Lucius told me he and the other Death Eaters had been summoned the night of Lord Voldemort's rebirth. Since then Voldemort has called them at will to do his bidding. The sheer fact that your father told me all this obviously meant that there was something more important than his master at stake...' he paused, surveying the expression on Vienna's face.
She was visibly shaken, and couldn't speak. So many things were swirling around in her head it was hard to listen any more.
'This is all I know...' Dumbledore continued, 'your father told me that he was requested by Voldemort to carry out some type of task which was so terrible he refused immediately. What the task was he did not say. Lord Voldemort was particularly disappointed at your father, and consequently wants compensation... at the price of one of his children. You Vienna.'
'M-me?' Vienna spoke like she was being strangled.
'Her?' stuttered Draco, equally as shocked.
'Yes. I know it is a terrible burden to have to know about it. But it is best that you are aware of your predicament. Voldemort cannot touch you while you are here, that is why you're your parents brought you to Hogwarts. Now you will be able to look out for any suspicious behaviour. Voldemort has many spies that can reach you here, but I doubt any will attempt anything while you are under my watch. Draco I expect you to keep up a constant vigilance,' Dumbledore said, staring at Draco, who nodded.
'But, but I still don't understand... Why me?' asked Vienna, still extremely confused.
'I do not know the answer to that, but I have my suspicions,' replied the headmaster, pushing his glasses up onto his nose. 'When I am certain, you will be the first to find out. All I ask Vienna, is that you do not leave the school grounds and that for this moment, tell only the few people that you trust.'
'Of course, I promise...'
'Good. One person that may be helpful to talk to though is Harry Potter. If anyone has been close to feeling how you do now, he has,' Dumbledore said, standing up suddenly. 'Look at the time, sorry to have kept you from the start of dinner... if either of you have any further questions, I will always be here...'
'Thankyou for, for telling me...' Vienna said quietly.
'Yeah, thanks.' Draco added.
The pair left Dumbledore's office in silence, feeling like totally different people from when they had first entered. Somehow now any argument she was having or had ever had with Draco seemed insignificant. They both felt a hundred times heavier thinking about what lay ahead, but the fact that they were there together, was a comforting thought for both of them, especially Vienna...